jeffh
.375 Atomic
Posts: 1,606
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Post by jeffh on Aug 28, 2021 23:51:01 GMT -5
Here’s another one from JeffH. I’ll let him tell ya about it: Thank you, Tim! This one, as is apparent is a three-screw, once a 357, now a 44 Special. My dad and I had a young smith on the hook for various services we couldn't do ourselves. For me, it was tooling, skill, knowledge. For my dad, it was tooling. We cooked up a lot of neat projects with that smith and I believe my dad influenced him positively with help in making some of the tooling and a lot of machining experience to relate. As a tool & die maker of forty years, he learned a bit.
My dad and I had a connection in shooting, casting reloading, hunting and it was the one thing where we agreed almost perfectly. He got me onto the 44 Special early on and it's been my favorite forever. For many years it was a Bulldog or nothing. We started picking up three-screws here and there for $175 to $200 for some really nice ones and he finally had a 44 Special made from one. He didn't send it off to a famous maker, he levied that responsibility upon this young smith.
I had a Bisley SBH with some gnarly rifling directly under the front sight base and my dad insisted I trade it to him for one in perfect condition. I knew he was up to something, but I didn't know what. He sent it to Ruger and asked them yto replce the barrel, which they did and he further asked for the old barrel back to and they sent it along as well. There was a good, full six inches of 44 barrel there.
He turned one of his three-screws over to the smith and explained what he wanted. The smith was all too happy to take it on because he had the same tastes and preferences as we did. The smith took the SBH barrel and turned it down a bit, removing all the fine American literature and matching the diameter of the 357 barrel, as well as removing the gnarly end of the barrel. He fitted it to the three-screw frame and installed a steel ejector rod housing.
For the cylinder, he used the original and bored/reamed and rechambered it for 44 Special. From there, he reblued the whole gun. $245 for the works. It even still days "357" on the frame. It has a 6" barrel, not 6 1/2", but that's what was left of the SBH 44 Mag barrel. My dad did the tuning - and he did wonderful work on them. This was a marvelous "budget" conversion that looks about factory in all respects but the holes at the muzzle and throats.
Some years ago, my dad dropped a box off at my house while I was at work. My wife directed me to the box when I got home, said "it's a gift," and his 44 was in it. I Puzzled over it for a few days and finally went and asked him if he was dying. "What??" Turns out he'd caught onto a weird thing from my mom's side where people give things to who they want to have it when they die - BEFORE they die so they know the right person got it. He gave it to me early.
Talking to Tim about this one, I realized it had been a long since I shot it. I need to rectify that.
Thanks again, Tim.
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Post by dougader on Aug 28, 2021 23:57:22 GMT -5
I love the 4-5/8" OM Blackhawk a great forum member sold me in 41 mag. That, or the snubby S&W model 69 in 44 mag make great working guns.
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jeffh
.375 Atomic
Posts: 1,606
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Post by jeffh on Aug 29, 2021 8:26:10 GMT -5
For me...That'd be my chopped 44 Mag Flattop... I sure like the looks of that one as-is.
It even has an exceptional set of grips on it - darker than run o' the mill issue walnut.
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Post by bullseye on Aug 29, 2021 9:24:01 GMT -5
I may very well keep it as is? That old Flattop was very WELL used when I found it after years of looking for one I was willing to shorten, & had also been converted ( a travesty!) & the original lockwork was missing. The worn look has kinda grown on me, & I don't have to worry about scuffing it up when it's out & about, which is why I choose to post it in this "Working 44" thread.
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Post by bigbrowndog on Aug 29, 2021 10:59:50 GMT -5
Cant post pics,....but two of my favorites are a Vaquero Shopkeeper converted to Bisley with better sights and my 97, both Stainless guns for help against our Texas humidity
Trapr
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Post by fn1889m on Aug 29, 2021 13:27:08 GMT -5
I have a 357 large frame blued Vaquero converted by Mr. Huntington to .44 Spl. I love the revolver. But I traded off a similar (stainless) .44 Mag. which was the same size and, of course, shot .44 Spl just fine. It did not have the same attraction.
So why is it people seem to bond with .44 Spl conversions even on a larger frame, rather than just buy a .44 Mag?
Not complaining. It’s mine, and there is no other just like it.
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jeffh
.375 Atomic
Posts: 1,606
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Post by jeffh on Aug 29, 2021 14:23:52 GMT -5
.....So why is it people seem to bond with .44 Spl conversions even on a larger frame, rather than just buy a .44 Mag?.........
I don't think I can answer the question for others, but the SBH Bisley my dad traded me for the one with the gnarly spot in the bore came with two cylinders.
BOTH 44 Mag cylinders.
He had sent it to Ruger and requested they make him a 44 Special cylinder, but they declined the request. He asked them to fit an un-chambered cylinder and they declined that request too. So, he had them go ahead and provide a spare 44 Mag cylinder. His idea was to use one for mags and one for Specials and not get too fussy about a carbon ring. Cost him $60 for the spare cylinder, fitted to that frame.
They looked identical and I never did install the second one before moving it after finding an OM 45 Colt.
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Post by 45MAN on Aug 29, 2021 14:38:30 GMT -5
Nice guns. Being a workin man myself I consider any gun I use a lot as my working gun. I prefer customized examples that I have personal stories to go along with. Working with gunsmiths has enriched my experience and adds much personal value to things I put my dollars into. These are 45 colts, my favorite cartridge. 2 Clements and a Ryan Ross. As for leather I love floral carving. Hopefully after many years these will have good wear and can tell stories about them. AWESOME LEATHER
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Post by Encore64 on Aug 29, 2021 17:00:08 GMT -5
I have a 357 large frame blued Vaquero converted by Mr. Huntington to .44 Spl. I love the revolver. But I traded off a similar (stainless) .44 Mag. which was the same size and, of course, shot .44 Spl just fine. It did not have the same attraction. So why is it people seem to bond with .44 Spl conversions even on a larger frame, rather than just buy a .44 Mag? Not complaining. It’s mine, and there is no other just like it. The 44 Special just has class. Plus, it's just one of those cartridges that screams "Handload Me." We all have our favorite loads and it just makes the gun feel more personal. People handload the 44 Special and reload the 44 Magnum...
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Post by fn1889m on Aug 29, 2021 18:24:57 GMT -5
“People handload the 44 Special and reload the 44 Magnum...”
Good point.
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Post by rjm52 on Aug 29, 2021 19:11:18 GMT -5
Beautiful. 44s guys....
As to 58s bringing $2k...you can ask all you want but in 30 years I've been buying and selling 58s I've seen only a handful sell for over that...
Current average selling price runs $900-1400 depending if it has the original grips, box and whether it is an "S" or "N" prefix...
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Post by reflex264 on Aug 30, 2021 9:04:10 GMT -5
Working mans .44 ? I am not sure which one that would be. They all fit the bill. I really like this one and it shoots great. I love this one as well.
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Post by bobwright on Aug 30, 2021 10:01:01 GMT -5
Alas! I am no longer a "working man" that is, I am no longer gainfully employed. And this is a .45, not a .44; but this is my constant companion, that I call my "American Express gun"; I never leave home without it. The two are the one on the left, which is in a Barranti Ranger holster, sort of my Sunday carry gun. Next is my everyday companion, Doc Barranti's No. 1 Shuck: Bob Wright
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Post by bobwright on Aug 30, 2021 10:05:22 GMT -5
And, tis truly is a gun/rig "............carried by a little old man, only on Sundays." Bob Wright
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Post by bula on Aug 30, 2021 11:19:38 GMT -5
A double edged sword for me. I'd have to say the NM FT BH 44spec's with 4 .5/8" or 5 1/2" perfect all around all day packable, etc.. Mine a blued 5.5". Yet it is so general purpose, all around that I keep reaching for more specific use handguns and it stays home ! I'd not argue against 45's due to bigger holes, less weight. I will argue against magnums. A packed for the day gun, short notice to needing it likely, I want lower velos, less harsh on ears. With re-occuring ear infections from foam plugs and too hot to wear muffs all day at work. Tinnitus, anyway. For me, a number of the gang's here favs would not be packed except to a range.
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